What Belongs To You
by f0rkins0cket
Summary: When the newly born child opened his eyes. They were not gold, not even blue.


A/N: I know! I know! I'll get to Progress soon enough. I just had to write this when it hit my mind. I was watching The Nativity Story five minutes ago. So it was to play out like that story but it ended up changing to more of a Moses thing… bible stories…Mmm.

Warnings: Mentions of Suicide, Emo Zuko

Disclaimer: Me? I own nothing more than my mind, and even that is claimed by the creatures that live in there.

* * *

_This wasn't his._

He had dark skin, smooth to touch.

_This did not belong to him._

His nose was like a button.

_This was not of his possession._

His face had happiness written all over.

_This did not look like him._

It was his eyes that had stuck him. When the newly born child opened his eyes. They were not gold, not even blue. They were gray. They were the most stunning gray anyone had ever seen. Only once had he seen eyes like this child's. He would not speak of the person either. The memories of it were too painful.

He did not love his wife. And his wife did not love him. They married for political reasons. Mostly to keep the Avatar away from any bender so the chance of an Airbender born was more plausible.

It was a little less than a year ago. He died. Three days after their wedding. For months she did not come out of her private room. For months she only talked to her brother and the blind Earthbender. The first thing she said when she came out of the room was, "Were did I go wrong."

When he learned that she was pregnant he was ecstatic. He thought it was his child. That he was going to have a child with his golden eyes, his light skin, and his sharp features. It was to be his child and only his.

Now he holds this baby. It's not his. It's hers. It's her memory of the person that she does love. It's the memory of why he now sat on the throne. It's the memory of a long lost civilization. One that everyone thought had disappeared once more.

He pondered what to do the child. Was he to throw it away as if it never existed? Would he give it to the Waterbender's brother to raise himself? What could he do with it?

A strong gust of wind came through the window that he sat by. The baby inhaled sharply almost as if he were making it move himself.

"Katara…"

"Yes."

"I've decided…I'll raise him," thoughts of his father had come to his mind. It was because he was different, because his father did not see himself in him that his life had come to what it was. He was not going to do that to his child. He was not going to be like his father.

"Even though--"

"Avatar's child or not, I wouldn't wish death on anyone."

"But the advisers, they'll be mad."

"Let them be."

"We could give him to Sokka or Toph."

"Or we could keep him"

A pause filled the room, "Why?"

"Because I Aang left, but I'm not."

The use of his name made the small one cry.

"You know I can't love you."

"You're welcome to leave, the child stays."

They looked at each other in the eyes.

"When my uncle said that I had to bring balance back into the world, along with the Avatar, I didn't know that it would end up with me raising his child."

The Fire Lord gave throaty laugh and a brief smile was shared between the two.

* * *

Two weeks later the Waterbender left to go home. They had divorced, and now could be happy. He married Mai and had another child. 

Two years later the baby had shown his bending abilities. He was an Airbender. The realization that his happiness with the child would not last long now that he had discovered it. Other children at his school teased him for not being able to firebend.

Four years later the Waterbender died. She had gone to be with the one she loved. The news came to him by the warrior. The child hid from Sokka, not knowing his own flesh and blood.

Ten years later the Fire Lord demanded that his son become an airbending master. He had given teachers to his daughter who progressed rapidly. He would not leave his son out like his father did to him. That's what he swore to do. So the blue familiar tattoos were placed in the boy's skin.

And now at the age of sixteen the question finally arose. His dark skin had become lighter he looked like his real father so much it hurt even for Sokka to look at him. Toph had once run to him yelling at him and calling him "Twinkle Toes" only to be stopped by Zuko.

It was by the duck pond. Where they had found the drowned Avatar's body. "Who's my father?' He held a blue glider covered in dust. His sister had probably found it when they were looking around the place.

"I am."

Irritation arose in the boy's voice, he sounded like the Avatar too, "No your not! You lied to me all these years; I'm not your son. I don't carry the fire in my blood like you do. I have something else, and I can feel it. I just don't know what it is." The end of his speech came out sloppy and chopped, his voice cracking with tears and sadness.

Zuko came to his son, rapped his arms around him pulling him into a hug. "Why should a man, who leaves you be called your father? Why not a man who kept you all these years, why should he be left broken hearted? You are not _his_ son. You are_my_ son."

"Why did you keep it from me," the boy asked burying himself in his 'fathers' hold, hopping that he would come out with golden eyes and pale light skin. Just like when he was younger and he would hid under his father's cloak when the were at the pond praying that he would come out being able to shoot fire from his hands and not move the air currents. "For so long, why did I have to learn it from people's whispers?"

"Because I though you would leave, I was afraid that you would run from the world, from me. I feel so selfish and I'm sorry." He pulled back, "So now, I leave you with no burden, the Avatar is your father, the blood of the Air Nomads is in you, along with his love, a girl from the Southern Water Tribe, Katara was her name, I now give you the choice, you may go to the South and ask for a warrior named Sokka. Or you can stay here and be my son once more."

The history books had taught him many things. He knew of the Avatar who was the last Airbender. He knew of the Southern Water Tribe woman, she was said to be the greatest waterbender in the world. No text had told them of their love. The boy looked at the ground, "I love you father, but I must know more. I must."

"I understand, just promise me something."

"Anything."

"Come back, Gyatso, come back, do not leave me here in the dark, do not leave me like he did to us."

So the boy left. He went to the South. The air played with the water that night at the pond. Two figures rose from there. One made of air and the other water.

A silent whisper of thanks was all they gave.

* * *

Zuko woke in a cold sweat; he even in his old age jumped from his bed with agile, and ran to the bedroom that once held his son. Lighting his was with his palm; many tried to stop him to warn him. Opening the door with force he stared into the dark room, empty. 

Just a small wind current from the window gave him comfort.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the sad ending, I'm going to have a very happy chapter of Progress up tomorrow, or another one-shot... 


End file.
